More Than Partners
by Knight Watcher
Summary: based on the Batman: Gotham Knight segment Crossfire, a somewhat more intimate interpretation of the partnership of Detectives Anna Ramirez and Crispus Allen. Focus on purpose of staying with MCU and perspectives on Batman. Cameos by Batman and Gordon


Major Crimes Unit, the latest outfit operating within the Gotham City Police Department or to shorten it one would say MCU of the GCPD. MCU is a handpicked squad by Lieutenant James Gordon several months after his promotion in the wake of the Arkham breakout and the fear 'epidemic' because it took weeks to filter the gas out of the city and from citizens' blood chemistry. The antidote went into mass direction under the newly minted COO of Wayne Enterprises, one Lucius Fox, who had taken over the position from Bill Earle.

Earle's 'retirement' had been one of Bruce Wayne's first decisions once assuming principal ownership of his family's company after buying a majority shareholding though third parties.

Earle had been planning to make Wayne Enterprises into an arms manufacturer, something that some older mainstays held serious objections too. Something that Wayne and more so Batman would not allow especially with his family's reputation for saving lives even if took their own lives away in the process.

"_**And finally this morning, CEO Bruce Wayne announced the launch date …of his company's next satellite: the**_** Waynecom Seven**_**."**_

Crispus could clearly hear the news anchorwoman babbling on about Wayne's latest technological 'wonder', but his thoughts were weighing on other things like the point of being in this unit while rival crime 'families' are whacking away at each other.

"_**Speaking from the steps of Wayne Enterprises…"**_

His gaze is downward yet his mind is elsewhere. His fingers press against the side of his face.

"…_**Wayne said the new satellite represents the…"**_

A whoosh comes from the direction of Gordon's office. Crispus did not have to guess who had come calling again, and he had qualms for the extent of Gordon's 'silent partnership' with this vigilante, this Batman. The cowl silhouette is visible through the glass just above the name plate on the door. His gaze locks to the door even as he can hear his partner approaching from behind him. He hears her yet his attention remains unbroken.

"Cris."

He never did care for that abbreviation of his name yet she says it rather affectionately at times. She is a physically attractive woman, no lie there, but she also had that rough edges quality to her from growing up in Gotham.

"Detective Allen."

She says that more formally, detectives were allowed casual wear, and her colors were often more casual than his. He wore an inexpensive suit, something Wayne would never don, but so far all he knows about Wayne is limited to what passes for media in Gotham City.

"Partner."

She says that more forcefully. His gaze is set on the shadow in the glass window.

"He's in there. Right now, he's in there. Again."

The shadow moves off, another whoosh, and then Gordon appears after opening the door.

"Allen, Ramirez. Inside," he says firmly.

"Yes, sir," answers Anna.

Allen closes his eyes, lowly sighs before rising to follow Anna into Gordon's office. He has one hand in his pocket, and his badge is visible on his belt. There is a scruffy looking individual sitting in one of chairs in Gordon's office. The two stand a short distance away from him and Gordon has his back to the desk.

"And this would be?" queries Anna.

"Jacob Feely. Our man in black," states Gordon.

Feely raises his head a bit then looks at the detectives with a rather muted proud smile.

"The high-tech psycho?" says Anna.

"Just dropped in didn't he, LT?" quips Crispus.

"He's back in custody, Detective Allen. That's good enough for me," responds Gordon.

A quick pause does not release the tension in the air.

"You and Detective Ramirez are going to put Mr. Feely in some bar and legs cuffs…and take him back across the Narrows."

The cascade of Gotham's overly bright skyline can be seen behind Gordon. It is by far a contrast to what little Allen had seen in the distance of the Narrows and he also only had Anna's stories about the Narrows incident from the time that Batman first had come into the mix. Gordon tosses the bag with the cuffs in them to Anna and she calls to Feely.

"Yes, sir. This way Mr. Feely."

Feely heads out first head hung low with Anna trailing behind him. Crispus had wanted to have out with Gordon for weeks now and this finally brought the hammer down.

"Sergeant Del Arrazio says Maroni's guys are gunning for The Russian, lieutenant. He says it's going down in Tri-Corner, probably tonight."

Gordon's gaze is steady, he is aware of what the word and others' reports say though not even MCU can go everywhere and handle everything.

"If you have a point detective, I'm still waiting to hear it."

Allen wonders if Gordon is taking this situation seriously enough plus there's Batman.

"Just wondering if now is a good time to start acting courier… for a vigilante, that's all, sir."

The biggest or one of the biggest things that made Gordon pick Allen is the man told it you to the point instead of just following orders without knowing why he had to follow them. Gordon looks away and down before saying his next bit.

"It's called trust, detective. Something this city has in very short supply until recently."

Gordon heads back around the desk as Allen cuts through his superior's explanation.

"But I don't trust him, sir."

Gordon sits down then looks at the detective directly.

"You will."

***

Gotham City at night is the real city's face where one sees everything for what it is instead of that barely shining spectacle in daylight. Anna is driving them over to the Narrows with Feely restrained in the backseat. They pass one of many junkyards and roadways near it with littered Gotham Times papers that happen to be covering the same gang war that concerns Allen much in relation to this unit's purpose as well as his own.

"You are like a dog with a bone. You know that, partner?" cracks Anna.

His countenance is impassive before he says his bit to her.

"He's a vigilante."

Her eyes widen just a little before countering his declaration.

"He's not."

His eyes tighten before he repeats himself.

"He's a vigilante, Anna."

She repeats herself too in a firmer tone.

"He's not."

There's another pause before he resumes talking to her.

"So what do you call him, then? Crime-fighter?"

"Hell, I don't know. I don't even know if he is human, Cris. All I know is that the city is changing for the better thanks to him. You didn't grow up here, you don't see it. But I did and I do."

One of spires of the new larger Arkham Asylum comes into sight at last. They near the drawbridge to the Narrows. A security checkpoint is at the crossing and so the car comes to a stop. A SWAT with a flashlight comes over to check their I.D. and to discern their purpose for crossing.

"Major Crimes Unit. Detective Ramirez and Detective Allen."

He looks at both badges then asks what their purpose is here tonight.

"Dropping off or picking up?"

"Dropping off. Jacob Feely."

"You found him? Nice job."

"We just looked and there he was."

It was the truth insofar as not acknowledging who brought back to police custody.

"You been across since the breakout?"

"Haven't had the pleasure."

"Couple things to keep in mind, then: The whole island is now asylum grounds. Keep your doors locked and the windows up…until you're at the administrations building. Do not stop. Anyone you see on the streets are inmates, not citizens."

His delivery is rote yet also of deep concern for them, nobody in their sane minds would go over there.

"Understood."

She rolls up the windows and locks the doors.

"I'll let know them you're coming."

He signals for the drawbridge to lower and they drive across. As it lands into place an eerie greenish glow encompasses everything visible to them from this side. The barb wired gates open as Anna floors it towards them. All three of them including Jacob are reacting to the sight of the inmates out in the massive yard on either side of the roadway to the central structure. There is nothing inviting about the place naturally, the whole array of it is decidedly unnatural. There is also something almost sinister about the orderlies and the doctor with them that Anna meets when passing off Jacob.

Allen briefly rolls down the window before sending it back up, he only wants to leave, heck even leave Gotham for good, the whole thing seems untenable, and so they turn around then drive away. The glow fades as they leave and Allen radios in the drop off.

"I gotta tell you partner, this place gives me the creeps. A whole island abandon to madness."

_I think you are close Anna, but it is more than that, you know as well as I do._

"This whole city's abandoned to madness."

_One trip to Arkham and he is already saying the whole town is nuts._

"You are in a mood tonight."

_Time to break the ice on you Anna, almost sorry to do this, you are more than a good cop._

"Yeah, I'm thinking of transferring out of MCU."

_He must be joking with me, he can't leave this, can't leave me, the city needs us…_

"What? You can't."

_She's taking this harder than I thought._

"We've been partnered six weeks, Anna, it's not like we're married."

_Sure making a couple crack at our partnership, you have grown on me, I don't want you to leave this, leave me._

"It's the Major Crimes Unit, Cris."

_You really believe that don't you Anna, well, we aren't handling the real problems here, not in my mind._

"Gordon picked you the same as he picked me. He picked all the detectives in this squad. You can't turn you back on that."

The only sound is the engine noise from the car for the moment.

"The Major Crimes Unit. If we were stopping major crimes like the gang war…that's been ripping this city into chunks for almost a month, I'd reconsider. But that's not what we do, is it? No we run errands for a vigilante. And that partner, is just plain wrong."

His countenance is increasingly disdainful of what he views this outfit to be and of course he picks perhaps the wrong woman to say this to, especially as she is the one driving the car. She floors and swerves the car off the road into the city.

"Whoa!"

_She takes me possibly doing this very seriously and of course I had to say it in a car that she is driving._

The car skids to a stop in a dimly lit section of Gotham, a place called Tri-Corner.

"You can't walk away from this… not when things are finally beginning to change. Not when the fact that you are honest cop is an asset, not a liability."

Her voice reveals sadness, anger, frustration, though most of all how much she needs to believe, to have her faith rewarded and to have a partner that she knows is her partner, not just another cop that could be bribed or be killed for his convictions.

"I don't know if we can trust the Batman. But I know this because of him I'm not ashamed to be a cop anymore. If you wanna give that up—"

He tries to quiet her when another car's headlights reveal just where she brought them with that swerve.

"No! damn it, listen."

"Anna, shut up."

He points to the words painted on the far wall. Her eyes widen and she feels stupid now, she curses herself for it. They are now about to be in the middle of a gunfight between Maroni and The Russian. They stay low, the Russian steps out of his massive humvee, and his lackeys are there waiting for him.

"That's the Russian, we are going to need backup."

Allen pushes the seat back, preps his sidearm, and looks at her noticing they are both sweating.

"We are gonna need a lot of backup."

Next they see a trio of Italian make cars pull along up along Allen's side of the vehicle.

A line up suit of fancy designer suits step out including the expected Sal Maroni.

"I told you and your Ivans to stay the hell out of my turf, Russian," growls Maroni.

"You have no turf, Maroni, and no power," retorts the Russian.

"Then come and get me…" snaps Maroni.

The line up and the lackeys plus their bosses dual wield firearms. The bullets go spraying in an instant. Bullet rips through their car yet miraculously they are not hit by any of them or even by glass from the shattering windows. Maroni is losing men faster than the Russian. Allen grabs the radio mike and starts yelling '10-34'.

"_Officers in need of assistance, Southwest O'Neill and Morrison. Be advised backup ETA in three minutes,"_ states the dispatcher.

"We are gonna be dead in three minutes!" yells Allen.

All of Maroni's men are down, either dead or close to it. Maroni is out, he has to reload so he ducks behind the side of their vehicle facing him. The Russian calls for the rocket launcher. Anna sees it and orders a bang out. She forces open her door, he kicks his out too. He yells for Maroni to move as well. The rocket obliterates the vehicle sending all three flying though Crispus Allen is the closest of the three yet something snags his pants' leg. It is grappler hook that pulls him up to a nearby roof. As he lands he can't believe how close he had gotten to being burnt.

His surprise does not end as the Batman walks past him then descend drops to street level. He is frozen in place until rushing towards the nearby ladder to start his own descent. Anna starts to come to as Crispus rushes to down the interconnected balconies below him. She can see Batman picking off the Russian's men in rapid succession through the flaming wreck of her destroyed vehicle. He is fast, he is too agile for them, and it is only one man against a handful with guns. She had rarely been this close to a scene where Batman fought and perhaps he actually had known about this encounter aside from the variable of her and Cris managing to be here too. He takes them all down before punching the Russian himself square in the face almost breaking the man's shades.

He turns around to look back to the other side of the street where Maroni is also coming around. A bloodied Maroni advances on a winded Anna with a fully loaded gun. He looks down to see her badge hanging from her neck.

"One of us just got lucky," he comments almost sadistically.

He pulls her up level with him and aims the gun at her cheek.

"I'm thinking it was me baby," he chuckles at her.

Batman advances towards them through the flames. She sees him, he could do it, she felt he could do it, but the only variable here is will he be fast enough. Maroni sees him too, the Italian's eyes seem to bulge out of their sockets, and his gun hand trembles a little.

"Don't move! Any closer, I'll spray her brains into the street."

He halts his advance to contemplate his next move knowing that the woman being shot is possible, maybe even killed, but he had to risk it, to stop Maroni, and hopefully save her life in the process. Allen finally gets low enough to risk jumping down without doing anything more than probably spraining his ankle. He lands, groans, and whips out his sidearm then aims at Maroni.

"Drop it," demands Allen to Maroni.

Maroni forcefully shoves the gun into her face.

"I'll kill her, I swear to God!"

Allen eyes Batman then looks back to Maroni ready to shoot Anna.

"I'll do it, I'll do it!"

Batman lunges straight at Maroni disarming the injured gangster before he can squeeze the trigger.

"No. You won't."

The certainty with only his jaw and mouth is telling, perhaps even confident and disturbing at the same time. Maroni tumbles backwards once gazing into the white lenses in the cowl. Anna is safe, Crispus sighs, and then she looks up at her savior, the fear inspiring guise known to her as Batman. There is a look of awe, admiration, gratitude, and warmth in her face.

"You're MCU, aren't you? Gordon's squad," he says to her.

_He knows us, see I told you Cris, we do matter, it is not always the 'big' stuff, the 'small' counts just as much._

"Lieutenant Gordon is a good judge of character."

He fires off the grappler then ascends back into the darkness leaving Anna to gaze skyward for the man that she now owes her life too, she could only hope she would never betray his faith in people like her by being chosen by Gordon. Someone he obviously admires and respects to speak so warmly about even after what had happen here tonight. Crispus Allen limps over to her and puts his arm around her. He would not be leaving MCU, he would stay for her, for her faith in him, and her faith in people like Gordon and dare he think Batman.

_It seems you were right sir, I think I am starting to trust him because he kept Anna alive._

"Let's get out of here once our backup and CSU gets here," says Anna.

_It looks like you changed your mind Cris._

"We had a rough night, so I'm inclined to agree with you," answers Crispus.

_You have more conviction and guts than I ever knew partner._

The backup and CSU cordon off the scene before they get a lift to Gotham General to get cleared on injuries before taking a late dinner at pub near his apartment.

* * *

A/N 1: Written off dialogue from **Batman: Gotham Knight** segment **Crossfire**. I made the partnership more platonic, plus its largely a story where Batman is mentioned only makes a brief dialogue cameo in the latter half of the story.

A/N 2: Added a post-segment bit with them having dinner together after a quick layover at the hospital.

A/N 3: O'Neill and Morrison are both comic book/graphic novel writers and artists particularly notable for their Batman works.


End file.
